The History of the Bridges on the Menai Straits
off the Island of Anglesey, North Wales.

Thomas Telford's Suspension Bridge across the
Menai Straits.

Thomas Telford's Suspension Bridge

Thomas Telford (1757-1834) began life as a shepherd in his native
Scotland, and then took an apprenticeship as a stone mason.
Later he moved to London, where he furthered his education.
By 1788 he got the job of Surveyor of public works in Shropshire.
After returning to his native Scotland for a couple of years,
he returned to England to work on the Ellesmere Canal, which
included the wonderful Pontcysyllte aqueduct. Over the next
ten years he carried on surveying and still continued to work
on large building projects like the Caledonian Canal.
He started work on the Menai Suspension Bridge in 1819, and
it was completed and opened on 30th Jan 1826. He was also responsible
for the extensive improvements on the Holyhead to London road,
including the erection of the Anglesey Toll Houses. His
improvements to the road took 9 hours off the previous journey
time.
This was the first iron suspension bridge of its kind in the
world, and was probably Telford`s most acclaimed achievement,
yet it is only fair to say he would
have received a lot of assistance from William Alexander Provis,
who was the resident engineer.
This was a massive improvement, not only for the people travelling
to Ireland, but also to the locals, who for the first time could
cross to and from the mainland without fear of perishing in the
dangerous waters of the Menai Straits.
To allow for the height of ships passing under the bridge, the
criteria was that the bridge should have at least 100 foot of
clearance from the span to the water.
Building began with the stone pillars, the stone for which was
quarried from Penmon quarry. Then the enormous task of lifting
the 16 chains that would span the bridge started, these would
be the main supports. In order to lift the central section of
chain – weighing 23 and a half tons – it took 150
men using block and tackle. A large gathered crowd clapped thunderously
as the connection was successfully made.
The road surface of the bridge covers a distance of circa 579
foot.

Stephenon's Tubular Bridge from Telford's Bridge

The Menai Suspension Bridge being re-painted in 2005

The Tubular Bridge and a snow-capped Snowdonia from
the Anglesey Column

The Menai Straits winding its way

A panoramic view from Anglesey Column - with the suspension
bridge and a snow-capped Snowdonia

This bridge was built by Robert Stephenson, the son of George Stephenson,
the famous locomotive engineer. The stone for this bridge was, as with Telford`s
bridge, quarried at Penmon. The tubes weighing in at an enormous 1500 tons
were fabricated beside the Menai Straits. The bridge was officially opened
on the 5th March 1850. Anglesey was at last connected to the rest of the
country by rail.
Four large stone lions were sculpted by John Thomas of Gloucestershire
in 1848, and placed two at each entrance to the tubular bridge, making four in
total. John Thomas was also the architect who designed the north and south fronts
of the House of Commons. The lions are 25 foot long and weigh 80 tons each. The
lions are still there, and I have taken some photographs of them - shown below.

After a serious fire caused accidentally by two boys in 1970, the bridge
had to be taken out of service. To kill two birds with one stone, so to speak,
it was decided that if the damage was to be repaired, then a road bridge
would be added above. To account for the additional weight strain that this
would impose the engineers added arches to the structure of the bridge, which
are now the main support. The road above is now part of the new A55 expressway.
Whilst repairs to this vital rail link were carried out, passengers would
disembark from the train at Bangor, and be ferried to Llanfair PG by coach,
where they then embarked on the remainder of their rail journey. And of course
vice versa.

Menai Brittania Bridge - Bangor Side Stone Lion

Menai Brittania Bridge - Bangor side Stone Lion

Menai Brittania Bridge - Bangor side Stone Lion

Menai Brittania Bridge - Bangor side Stone Lion -
other side of the rails)

The upper half of the Brittania Tubular Bridge

The Brittania(A55) Road Bridge from the Bangor Side

The Tubular Bridge and a snow capped Snowdonia

A ground view of the Tubular Bridge

Tubular Bridge and Snowdonia

The original (and still used) rail line passing under
the road

The Lions are just feet away from you when crossing
on the road Bridge